This Week in Asia /

Health & Environment

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The Nos 5, 6 and 7 reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear complex operated by Tepco. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

‘Built on tofu’: safety fears as Japan prepares to restart nuclear plant

While Fukushima operator Tepco says it is ‘committed to safety’ at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, critics believe it is a disaster waiting to happen.

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Indonesia

Power, protests and policy shake-ups shape Indonesia’s 2025

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Indonesia

Seeking climate justice: Indonesian fishermen’s case against Holcim to proceed

2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Thai marines rescue starving lions, bears from Cambodian border casino

Officials say the two lions, two Asiatic black bears and one sun bear suffered from underfeeding and prolonged neglect at Thmor Dar Casino.

Two bears found caged inside a Cambodian casino were later rescued by Thai marines. Photo: Facebook/DNP1362
Two bears found caged inside a Cambodian casino were later rescued by Thai marines. Photo: Facebook/DNP1362
Indonesia

‘Worse than the tsunami’ – Indonesia’s Aceh residents traumatised by flooding

A month after the disaster, residents are still struggling to recover as anger against Jakarta’s slow rescue response mounts.

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Indonesia

Rafflesia flower rediscovery in Indonesia revives push to drop colonial name

The giant flower find has renewed calls among researchers to rename its genus, which honours British colonial official Thomas Raffles.

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Nepal

Nepal’s plan to tackle uphill task on Mount Everest: clean up waste

Over the years, the authorities have removed a mountain pile of trash and the bodies of climbers on the world’s highest peak.

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A Nepalese sherpa collecting garbage left by climbers at an altitude of 8,000 metres during the Everest clean-up expedition at Mount Everest in 2010. Photo: AFP
A Nepalese sherpa collecting garbage left by climbers at an altitude of 8,000 metres during the Everest clean-up expedition at Mount Everest in 2010. Photo: AFP
Asean

Southeast Asian floods set to threaten more wildlife due to climate change

Environmental crimes and poor oversight are also worsening the risks faced by animals and trees.

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Malaysia

‘We just want to live’: fear grips Malaysia’s LGBTQ community

With drag clubs closed and spas raided, the shrinking space for queer life in Malaysia leaves a community with nowhere left to turn.

The Philippines

‘Medical pork’ row exposes political grip over Philippine health assistance

Doctors and health groups say the system allows politicians to influence who receives state medical aid, undermining universal care.

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Doctors and health groups in the Philippines said the “medical pork” system allows politicians to influence who receives state medical aid. Photo: Shutterstock
Indonesia

Indonesian elephants tasked to help in flood recovery spur conservation debate

The four elephants deployed to lift debris in Aceh last week after flooding were also involved in the 2004 post-tsunami recovery efforts.

Sumatran elephants deployed to help clear tree debris last week following flash floods in Meureudu, Pidie Jaya district, Aceh province, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
Sumatran elephants deployed to help clear tree debris last week following flash floods in Meureudu, Pidie Jaya district, Aceh province, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Don’t build on ‘active zones’, experts warn Indonesia as Sumatra recovery begins

Jakarta has pledged US$3.6 billion and a special agency to help restore homes and public facilities destroyed in last month’s cyclone.

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Indonesia

Deadly Indonesia fire fuels claims of ‘back-room dealings’ on safety

Unions blame bribery for lax enforcement after 22 workers died in a burning Jakarta office building with no emergency exits.

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Nepal

Nepal rolls out delayed tourist tracking system to keep tabs on foreign visitors

Starting next year, hotels and travel companies must begin automatically reporting visitor locations to a central government database.

A tourist admires the view of Mount Everest from Kala Patthar, Nepal. Photo: Shutterstock
Indonesia

Calls to halt Indonesia’s free meal drive after horror crash injures 21 children

One child lost 18 teeth and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Critics blame the scheme’s ‘chaotic’ roll-out for the tragedy.

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Indonesian students eat a free school meal in Aceh Besar earlier this year. Photo: EPA
Indonesian students eat a free school meal in Aceh Besar earlier this year. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

‘Just say thank you’: Malaysians fume as Indonesian minister belittles flood aid

Tito Karnavian dismissed the US$60,000 aid package as ‘not much’ compared to Jakarta’s own disaster response, touching a raw nerve online.

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Singapore

‘It’s life’: ex-NBA star in Singapore for brain cancer treatment exudes hope

Jason Collins, who is seeking an experimental treatment, has progressed from being ‘basically a vegetable’ to taking a two-hour walk.

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India

Does India’s HIV success story overlook its poorest state?

Figures from one district in Bihar show thousands living with HIV, contrasting sharply with India’s broader success in cutting infections.

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A student displays messages painted on his hands during an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in Chandigarh, India. The country has made significant progress in controlling the disease, though concerns persist in some regions. Photo: Reuters
A student displays messages painted on his hands during an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in Chandigarh, India. The country has made significant progress in controlling the disease, though concerns persist in some regions. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Hong Kong fire victim sent frantic final video to husband in Indonesia

Darwati, 48, died alongside the elderly woman she cared for, refusing to abandon her ward as the Wang Fuk Court fire spread.

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Japan

Japan’s retreat from global health funding hands China diplomatic opening

Tokyo’s over 52 per cent funding cut to a global body fighting Aids and malaria risks damaging its hard-won reputation as a ‘peace nation’.

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Japan

Japan tremors raise fears of overdue megaquake killing 199,000

Authorities are urging residents to review evacuation plans as simulations suggest a ‘maximum-class’ winter night quake could trap thousands.

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A house burns after a powerful earthquake hit Aomori, northeastern Japan, early on Tuesday last week. Photo: Jiji Press/EPA
Singapore

Ex-NBA player with deadly brain cancer turns to Singapore for new treatment

Jason Collins, who said he could die within weeks, praised Singapore as ‘the city of the future’, where he got approval ‘within 48 hours’.

Jason Collins, then a player with the Brooklyn Nets, warmed up before a match against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California in 2014. Photo: AFP
Jason Collins, then a player with the Brooklyn Nets, warmed up before a match against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California in 2014. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Airbnb ban in Bali? Indonesia says no, but crackdown on illegal stays looms

Bali’s governor wants to ban the online platform but the island’s problems with illegal rentals go beyond Airbnb, critics say.

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South Korea

South Korea to end cosmetic surgery tax break that fuelled medical tourism boom

The Korean Association of Plastic Surgeons warned that ending the VAT refund scheme could drive foreign patients to rival destinations.

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Japan

Fur real? In Japan, rise in bear attacks spurs demand for robot wolf, AI cameras

Authorities in a prefecture have also deployed drones that mimic dogs barking and spark fireworks to scare off bears.

The Monster Wolf robot emits LED light and loud sounds to scare off wild animals when activated. Photo: Kyodo
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